The present disclosure relates to a nosecone of a missile or another similar device and, more particularly, to a high-performance (i.e., supersonic or hypersonic), adaptable metallic nosecone with a unitary assembly.
Nosecones and radomes on missile or other aircraft programs are typically formed with composite designs and are made of exotic materials. The composite designs are often characterized as being complex with multiple components on critical interfaces and are generally not optimized for thermal performance even on exterior surfaces. For example, in a clamshell design, multiple parts are required for the nosecone ejection system. The exotic materials often include composites that are highly dependent on manufacturing processes for repeatability. Unless testing is performed often, however, material properties of these composites may shift throughout production periods and performance lifetimes. Moreover, exotic materials and composites are often relatively costly with longer lead times than metallic materials.